Night's Contract
by DarkUchiha18
Summary: This is the story of a mysterious character known at the start of the story as Jordan. Who is she? What is she? Why are there people targeting her and the Scooby Gang? When and how did she get to know them? Jordan will have to remember before something tragic happens for her and the gang. What ultimate choice will she have to make, and at what price?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The day started out like normal. Really, there wasn't anything that seemed out of the ordinary. On my way to school, Sunnydale High School, I did my normal routine—starting with; getting onto the bus, then arriving at the school, then walking down the halls, and into the classroom. However, when I got there, my classmates were all staring at me—abnormally. They usually aren't like this, so I had no idea why it was like this.

After sitting down in my seat, I look into my backpack for my notebook—but it's missing. Damn it! I must have left it at home. Soon, after a few moments of being awkwardly stared at, I start thinking about what I should do without my notebook. My teacher is probably going to pick on me today.

Great! I can't wait…

Moments later, the next thing I know, I'm called into the administration office. Apparently, someone wanted to talk to me on the phone—the adults said that it was a "call from home" which I thought was a bit odd, considering the fact that I live alone. "Hello?" I ask as I begin to hear feint sounds of someone breathing on the other end of the line.

"Do you know how long it's been since we've last seen each other?" A man with a British accent asks.

"I'm sorry, but who is this?" I ask and the adults around me begin to stare at me. Then, I pull the phone closer to my face. "Do I know you?"

"You don't remember me?" He asks, now seeming to be a bit anxious, then he sighs. "My name is Giles, I work at the Magic Box in town." He says and, after he figures that I won't answer, he sighs again. "Goodness, you really don't remember?"

"No, sorry." I reply and feel a cold hand on one of my shoulders.

"You've talked long enough." A man says, harshly. "Anything else can wait until after school's dismissed." The man says to me and I start to hear footsteps all around me. Soon, I'm surrounded my adults.

"Giles, right?" I ask as my heart starts to beat faster.

"Yes? Is something wrong?" Giles asks as I notice the adults' faces were becoming deformed—grotesque.

"Give me that phone!" One of the adults yells and yanks the phone from my hands. From the phone, I can hear the muffled sound of several people talking to each other. The adults in the room I'm in start to follow me as I try to exit the school. What's gotten into them? They've never acted this way before—as far as I can remember.

All of a sudden, one of the adults lunges at me and cuts my left arm with a knife. Suddenly, their deformed faces turn pale white, and their faces become even more grotesque with glowing eyes and fangs. They moan omnisciently as I reach the door. Along with them all moaning, one of them smiles at me and says, "Don't worry, kiddo, this will only hurt a lot."

Then, as if my ears were fixed on the sound of the voices coming from the phone, I hear a woman. "Run!" She yells. As my feet had a mind of their own, I hurry out the door.

Now, as I start running out of the school, I feel the sense of terror and panic. After having ran a long ways—judging by the fact that the school is no longer in view, and I'm standing in front of a store—I stop as I start to feel a bit dizzy. The pain in my arm becomes sharper, since I can focus on it now. Looking down at my arm, I notice a deep gash in the center of my forearm. The sight of the wound bleeding down my wrist and into my hand makes me even dizzier-causing me to collapse, in shock. Then, I pass out into nothing but darkness. What's happening?

To be continued in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2!

Before waking up, I feel someone shaking my right arm. "Night!" I hear a woman's voice. "Xander! Help me get her inside!" She says and I feel my body lift up from the ground. Then, I close my eyes for some time—waking up again to the same woman talking to me. "You know, I didn't think you would come back." She says as I start to see slightly better. I feel the warmth coming from her, she must be a kind-hearted person. As my vision becomes completely clear, I notice that there are others standing behind her. Who are these people? "Night?" She asks and looks me in the eyes.

"Who's Night?" I ask, completely confused.

"You." She says and I sit up.

I shake my head. "No, I think you've got the wrong person. My name's Jordan Gray." I say and she stands up. She walks over to a table and grabs a black collar.

"When we first met, you were wearing this." She says and hands it to me. Suddenly, flashes of memory flood my mind. It was me and her fighting each other. But, seeing it makes me feel nothing but sadness—despite the sense that there should have been anger involved.

After a moment, I feel a hand on my shoulder. "See? Your body's reacting to this." She continues and brings a mirror. She shows me my reflection. I see my eyes glowing a bright blue and drop the collar, in shock.

"What's going on? Who are all of you? How do you know me?" I ask and they all look at each other with worried expressions.

"I'm Buffy." She says and begins to point to everyone, introducing them. "That's Willow, Xander, Anya, Giles and Dawn."

After a moment, I look down at my arm and notice that there are no marks of the cut I had. Come to think of it, I don't really remember much past a couple of months ago, so I guess it's possible that I lost my memories. But, how did I lose my memories? "How long has it been…since I saw you last?"

"Three months." Buffy says and I sit up. It seems logical, but considering what happened earlier, I'll take this bit of information with a grain of salt. For all I know, they could be like the people at school.

"So, you're Jordan Gray again?" Xander says, awkwardly.

"Yes…?" I say and he nods. "What were those things back there?"

"Probably vampires." Buffy says.

"Did you get hurt?" Willow asks and sits next to me.

"Is it normal to…" I start to say and Willow interrupts me.

"Heal quickly?" Willow asks, finishing my sentence.

"You've done that since before we met you." Giles says. "Considering…"

"Is it normal for there to be so much of them? The whole school was filled with them when I left." I say as I look up at Buffy.

"You're right, that is strange." Buffy says and crosses her arms.

"Do you think…?" I say, if this is abnormal, then I'm probably to blame. It's the most logical, given the current state of things. "Could I be the cause?"

"Nonsense!" Giles says with certainty. "That man said you served your sentence."

"Sentence? A man?" I ask and stand up. I feel a sense of anger and disbelief. "I was in prison?"

Buffy walks up to me, unfolds her arms, and puts her hands on my shoulders. "You were innocent." She says, calmly. "You escaped and then we met shortly after. A man named Gale freed you some time later…after we saved you and made sure he wouldn't come back. Then…" Buffy says and sighs as she takes her hands off my shoulders. I feel her sadness. "One day—about a year after we first met—I went to check on you…but you were gone." She says and I start to feel everyone's sadness. "You left without telling any of us…"

After thinking about all of this, I start to have visions of me running to a field of grass. Then, all of a sudden, I feel a burn in my eyes and a pressure on my neck. I gasp for air as it tightens around my neck. It was as if a force was pushing me down, and I drop to my knees. What is this? Why is this happening to me?

To be continued in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Instantly, after dropping to my knees, I feel everyone rush to my side. Then, I start to see more pieces of memory flash into my mind. I see a woman standing over me with a branding rod. As she places the hot metal onto my skin, she tells me that I belong to her now. Consciously, I grab the arm I saw being branded. "Night?" I hear a voice ask. Then, I realize that I'm lying down. My eyes open and I realize I'm in a different place.

"Night. You're awake." Willow says and stands up from a chair across the room, then she walks to me. I don't see anyone else with her. "This is where you stayed before. I thought I'd keep you company."

"Thanks…" I say and sit up. I put a hand on my arm as I remember the dream.

"Is there something wrong?" Willow asks as she sits next to me. "Is your arm okay?" She continues and puts a hand on my arm. I flinch as she reaches my arm. Quickly, I put a hand on hers and she looks me in the eyes. "Do you trust me?" She asks.

"I don't know." I say, then I sigh before I nod. She gently lifts the sleeve of my shirt, revealing the same branding mark from my dream. Shocked, Willow drops my sleeve.

"What happened to you?" Willow asks, worriedly. "It's that man again, isn't it?"

"No." I say and push her hand away. "I think it was a woman."

"Do you know who?" She asks, I still sense fear coming from her.

"I don't know. But, I have a feeling that she doesn't want me around any of you." I say as I feel that what I'm saying is only part of it. "I had a dream about her just now…I think it's some kind of black magic." I say as I point at my arm.

Willow stands up and turns back to me. I can tell that she's getting ready to change the subject. "Are you hungry?" She asks and I nod. "Why don't I go pick us up something?"

I smile at her and stand up. "I'll go with you." I say and she leads me out of the room, outside. This must be some kind of apartment, although, it doesn't look like anyone but me is occupying it.

"What are you hungry for?" She asks as I notice that its night time. How long have I been asleep?

"Uh, anything's fine." I say and we walk to a car.

After we both get into the car, she turns to me. "Is a burger fine with you?" She asks. I nod and she smiles.

On the way to the burger shop, everything seems more familiar than usual. In my mind, I haven't been here before, and yet it seems like I've been here recently. It's very confusing. "You know, when I first met you…you didn't speak very much. Now, it's a little strange to hear your voice…I mean, it's not a bad thing." She says awkwardly. I don't say a word. "Before, you and Buffy were…" She continues, but stops. "You said you wanted to stay with us…but then you left." She says and pauses. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have brought it up…"

"It's alright." I say, trying to reassure her. I feel a bit strange. Everything so far has been confusing to me. It seems that I knew everyone so well, yet now I don't even know how I came to know them.

When Willow finishes ordering and getting the burgers, she and I return to the apartment. When we walk through the door, she quickly sets up a small table built for two, and I notice my reflection in a mirror across the room. My hair is a mess and my eyes flicker blue at me. A flash of a memory of me attacking Buffy and the others with fangs, claws, and a thirst for blood plays over and over in my mind. "Willow?" I ask and she looks up at me.

"What is it?" She asks as she finishes laying out everything.

"Am I…human?" I ask, scared.

She pauses and walks up to me. She looks me in the eyes and grabs my hands. "I don't know if I should be the one to tell you." She says. "Human or not, you're very important to all of us, Jordan." She continues and smiles as she points to the table and two chairs on the other side of the room. "Come on, let's eat."

We sat down to eat and continued to talk with each other.

"How am I so important to you all?" I ask after finishing the burger. "I don't remember any of you, but you all seem to know so much about me.

"Well…" She starts to tell me the story of how we met.

To be continued in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4!

It all started on a sunny, yet dark day. There was a commotion at Giles's magic shop. Someone had broken into the shop at sometime early that morning. When Giles discovered it that morning, the shop was a mess and there was blood all over the new big window at the front of the shop.

In a panic, Giles called the rest of the gang to the shop along with the police. In minutes, the shop was full of investigators, policeman, and the whole gang. "What happened?" Buffy asks. Giles, just as everyone else, is shocked by the sight of the shop being wrecked.

"It seems someone broke in early this morning." Giles says and turns to a broken empty display case. "Whomever they are must be interested in the new collection I just received from an old friend of mine." He continues. "An antique ring, collar, and spell book." He says. The gang gives him an evil glare, as if they were saying 'that's probably why'. "I wasn't going to sell it…it's a piece of history."

Later that same day, the gang went to Buffy's house to talk about the break-in. As they are talking, Giles gets a phone call. "Hello?" Giles asks into the phone. "Yes. Thank you very much…Okay, bye…" He says and hangs up. "It seems they can't identify who bled."

Buffy stands up from the couch. "Then, that means they're not human, right?" Buffy asks and Giles shrugs his shoulders. "What could have done something like that?"

As they all talk about the magic shop, Dawn walks down the stairs from her bedroom. "Buffy, have you seen Jordan?" Dawn asks as she walks into the room.

"Jordan?" Buffy asks. "Who's that?"

"She's my friend from school." Dawn says. "She stayed over last night." She continues and sighs. "She must have left early." She says and Buffy looks at the rest of the gang.

"Did she say where she was going?" Buffy asks, suspicious that Dawn's new friend is just conveniently "left early". She might be the one who broke into Giles's shop.

"No." Dawn says and pauses, then looks concerned. "Wait. What's going on?"

"Someone broke into Giles's shop last night." Buffy says and Dawn sighs with an attitude.

"You don't think that Jordan…" Dawn says and Buffy looks at her seriously. "She would never do something like that." Dawn says and storms out the door.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouts out the door.

"I'm going to school." Dawn says and Buffy sighs before going back inside the house.

Later that day, Buffy and the gang were all at Giles's magic shop putting things together again. Once they were finished, it was late in the afternoon. "Thanks for the help everyone." Giles says as everyone looks exhausted from all the cleaning they had to do.

"Tomorrow, we'll figure out who or what took the new antiques." Buffy says and walks to the door. "Goodnight. Call me if there's another break-in." Buffy says and leaves.

When she gets to the house, Buffy hears Dawn talking to someone who was staying quiet. "Can you believe it? He almost got away with it." Dawn says and laughs. Then, Buffy opens the door. "Buffy, you wouldn't believe what happened at school today." Dawn says and Buffy walks into the room.

"Who's this?" Buffy asks with a smile. She notices that Jordan is wearing a sweater, but Dawn isn't. In fact Jordan is the only one in the house that is wearing long sleeves. What could Jordan be hiding?

"Oh, this is Jordan Gray. She's having some trouble at home, so I told her she could stay over if she wanted to." Dawn says and Jordan looks at Buffy and smiles.

"It's nice to meet you, Jordan." Buffy says with a cautious, yet friendly smile. "You're welcome to stay the night, but you have to go back home tomorrow. Okay?" She says and Jordan nods. Quickly, Dawn grabs one of Jordan's hands to guide her up the stairs. Then, they run up the stairs together. "Hey! Don't make too much noise okay?" Buffy yells and sits on the couch. She looks at her phone to see the weather report. "90 degrees(F) and wearing a sweater, huh?"

Dawn and Jordan were in Dawn's room with the door closed. "Jordan, aren't you hot in that sweater?" Dawn asks as she realizes that it's about 80-90 degrees(F) outside, yet Jordan has been wearing a sweater anyway. Jordan's not sweating, but looks exhausted. As Jordan looks as if she is about to pass out, Dawn quickly goes over to try and take the sweater off. When Dawn pulls on the sweater, Jordan grabs Dawn's arm.

"Dawn." Jordan says and Dawn backs off. "I'm fine."

"If you won't let me, then you take it off." Dawn says. "It's too hot to wear something like that. You could get sick." Dawn says and Jordan stands up to take her sweater off. Jordan pulls the sweater over her head to reveal that she was wearing a short sleeve shirt underneath. However, she had scars on her stomach, which showed as she pulled the sweater off. "Jordan." Dawn says as she notices a scar on Jordan's neck that went down one of her arms. "What happened to you?"

To be continued in the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5!

Just after Jordan reveals her scars to Dawn, they both stare at each other—waiting for one to say something. Then, the silence is broken by the sound of someone knocking at the door.

"Dawn, I made dinner." Buffy says through the door. "You should bring your friend." Buffy says and walks away from the door.

Jordan and Dawn stare at each other. "Who did this to you?" Dawn asks and Jordan backs up. "Was it your family?" Dawn asks. "You told me that they can be cold to you…I never imagined…" Dawn says and Jordan interrupts.

"No." Jordan says with a stutter. "It was my fault."

"Dawn, I'm coming in!" Buffy says and opens the door. She sees Jordan with her sweater off and a big scar down her arm. Dawn stands in between Jordan and Buffy. "Dawn, what's going on? Why does Jordan have…" Buffy says and starts piecing together that Jordan most likely was the one who broke into Giles's magic shop.

"Buffy, I know what it looks like." Dawn says as Jordan looks at both of them, feeling slightly scared but not showing it. "Jordan wasn't the one who broke into Giles's magic shop." After hearing Dawn say this, Jordan is visibly anxious.

"Dawn." Jordan says and walks up to Buffy. "I'm sorry…I…" Jordan says and Buffy pulls her into the hallway.

"Buffy stop!" Dawn says and hurries over to Jordan. "I think Jordan got that from her home." She says as Buffy looks into Jordan's eyes. Buffy could feel Jordan trembling with fear. Buffy quickly releases Jordan. Jordan sighs with relief as Dawn rushes over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Jordan says calmly.

"Dawn, you know we have to tell someone if she's been abused." Buffy says. Jordan looks even more anxious.

"No." Jordan says and Buffy looks at her. "You can't tell anyone about me." Jordan says and Buffy looks at her as if Jordan is acting suspicious.

"Jordan." Dawn says. "We just want to help you."

"I…" Jordan says. "I got into a fight with my stepbrother." Jordan says with a stutter. "It was months ago, though." Jordan says as Dawn and Buffy notice the scar starting to disappear.

"Dawn." Buffy says. Suddenly, Jordan starts running down the stairs. Buffy quickly follows behind. As Jordan puts a hand on the doorknob, Buffy is behind her with a wooden steak. "What are you?" Buffy asks and Jordan turns her head to look to her side.

"Human." Jordan says and Buffy turns her around.

"You had that large scar on you…then it just disappeared." Buffy says as she puts the wooden steak up against Jordan's chest. "What are you?"

"I'm…" Jordan says and starts to cry. Dawn walks up to them, and pushes Buffy away. Dawn hugs Jordan. "I'm…"

"Come on…" Dawn says as she guides Jordan up the stairs and into her room.

"I'm sorry." Jordan says as tears stream down her face.

"Are you happy now?" Dawn yells to Buffy, just before slamming the door to her bedroom.

The next day, Jordan left before anyone else. She had gone to an abandoned house that seemed more like an apartment complex. "Have you met the slayer?" An omniscient man's voice asks as Jordan walks inside. The voice is coming from the inside of the house. After Jordan closes the door, she feels a pressure around her neck. A black collar appears around Jordan's neck as a man puts his hand on her shoulder. "Answer me!" He yells and hits her hard enough that she falls to her knees.

"Yes, sir." Jordan says. The man, who's wearing a large black cape, picks her up by the collar of her shirt.

"Good!" That man says, sarcastically, and pushes Jordan against a wall. "Now, she'll kill us both!" He says, angrily.

"I'm sorry." Jordan says. "I didn't know that it was her."

The man drops her and begins to laugh. "You know what you came here to do." The man says with laughter. "It wasn't to make friends. This is your punishment!" He says, angrily. "If you don't kill the slayer or one of her friends by next week, you'll be locked up forever with that collar. Got it?" The man says and pulls his cape above his head, then he disappears. Jordan puts a hand on her neck as a surge of electricity comes from it and into her neck. She cringes at the pain until it stops moments later.

To be continued in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to whomever might read this fan fiction. I've been putting off posting this due to my constant need to post other fan fictions (sorry, bad habits die hard). I hope you will enjoy reading this, even though each chapter is extremely short.**

 **New chapters will be posted weekly, so keep a watchful eye out for them if you're interested**

 **Thanks again for your support! ^_^**

 **-Eddy**

Chapter 6

That night, Jordan (aka Night) went outside covered in black clothing and a black mask over her head and mouth. She went out dressed like this because she was about to study Buffy and the rest of the group, but without revealing her identity right away.

To do this, she heads to the magic shop to see if anyone is there.

As she comes closer to the shop, Night sees that the light to the inside of the shop is on. She quietly and slowly moves closer to the window to look inside. She sees Giles sitting by himself in the middle of the room. Strange. Cautiously, she looks everywhere else of the inside that she could see from where she's standing. It seems that they were expecting someone. This is an obvious trap set for her. Slowly, Night makes her way around the shop to get out of sight.

Suddenly, she feels as if she's not alone. Quickly, Night pulls out a long knife from her belt. Then, she's attacked from behind by something sharp. She swiftly moves in a way to evade the attacker, without getting hit. When she looks at them, she knows immediately who the attacker is. It was Buffy.

"I had a hunch that you'd be here tonight." Buffy says and begins attacking again. Night manages to dodge Buffy's knife, kicks, and punches as if they were nothing to her. They both pause to look into each other's eyes. Then, Night makes the move to stab Buffy. Buffy quickly grabs Night's arms and throws her away. Buffy walks up to her and reaches for Night's jacket. Just before Buffy could grab her, Night looks up at her with her eyes glowing a bright blue.

Seeing that she has Buffy distracted, Night jumps up to continue attacking. She grabs her knife and makes her move to stab Buffy. Night was moving so fast that Buffy couldn't make out her moves. Buffy couldn't tell how Night managed to get behind her, until she was. While Night had her knife almost stab into Buffy's back, she stopped.

Night thought about the fact that Buffy is Dawn's sister. If she killed her, it would make Dawn upset. She didn't want that because she considered Dawn as her only friend—her only true friend.

As Night was thinking about this, a surge of electricity flows through her. The collar was electrocuting her. Instead of hurting Buffy, Night pushes her away—knocking her off her feet. The electricity might shock Buffy as well if they're too close, Night thought. After Buffy is thrown a decent length away, Night falls to her knees in pain. Then, she starts to cough as if the collar were choking her.

Buffy stands up and starts walking towards Night. Instead of continuing the fight, Buffy just observes. Night looks up at Buffy as her eyes begin flickering blue and staggers as she stands up. Even though the shock continues, Night turns around and starts walking away from Buffy. Buffy follows close behind.

"Who are you?" Buffy asks and Night stops walking. Suddenly, Night begins coughing. Night wishes she could be friends with Buffy as well as Dawn, however, it doesn't seem likely—considering her current circumstances. The shocking stops and as does Night's coughing, then Buffy closes the distance between them. "Why are you here?"

"Can't…say…" Night says, breathless. Then, she falls unconscious.

"Hey!" Buffy says as she catches Night before fell to the ground.

Buffy carries Night to the magic shop. "Buffy!" Willow shouts as she walks out from behind the counter. When she sees Night, her eyes widen with worry.

"What is going on?" Giles asks, cautious of the person in black. "Why did you bring them in here? I thought-"

"There's something going on." Buffy interrupts. "She almost killed me…but…she hesitated." She continues and lays Night down onto the floor. "After that, she…" Buffy says and sighs. "She was electrocuted…"

"Is she dangerous?" Willow asks, concerned for everyone's safety.

"That's the problem. I don't know." Buffy says as she looks at Night's unconscious face. After a moment, Night opens her eyes. "You!"

Night staggers to stand up. The group backs up a little bit as she looks around the room. Her eyes flicker blue and she falls to her knees. The collar shocks her again as she realizes where she is. She gasps as if she were about to say something.

"What's going on?" Buffy asks Night as she kneels down to her. Night shakes her head. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Night…" Night says and tries to stand up, but Buffy holds her down. "Get…away…from me." She commands and tries to break free. The shocking stops for a few moments, allowing her to briefly catch her breath. Finally, Night manages to kick Buffy away from her, then jump up to her feet. As fast as she could, she runs out the front door.

Giles begins to read into a book. "It seems that the artifacts she stole…are being used on her. It is likely she would be doing this not of her own free will." Giles says and Buffy quickly stands up and walks over to him. "Buffy, I think you may be right." He continues and sighs with worry. "Something is definitely not right here."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7!

The next day at school, Dawn and Jordan were talking. "I'm sorry about the other night." Dawn says. "Are we still friends?" She asks and Jordan seems spaced out. "Are you okay?"

Jordan smiles and nods. "Sorry, I…" Jordan begins to say and notices a teacher walking towards them.

"Dawn Summers?" The teacher asks as she looks at Dawn.

"Yes?" Dawn asks.

"Your sister is here to pick you up." The teacher says and looks at Jordan. "Jordan Gray, your father is here to pick you up as well."

Dawn and Jordan stand up together and walk to the administration office. "Do you think we're in trouble?" Dawn asks and Jordan seems nervous.

"I don't know." Jordan says as they come closer to the office.

When they get inside the office, they immediately notice Buffy and Jordan's "father". Jordan knows immediately that it wasn't her father, but that man in the cape from the other night.

"My dear, Jordan." The man says, suavely, as he walks up to Jordan.

Buffy looks at the man as he hugs Jordan with a smile. "Are you Jordan's father?" She asks.

The man turns away from Jordan to look at Buffy. "Yes. I'm Gale Gray." He continues and takes out a hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Summers. Jordan's told me a lot about you." He says as Dawn walks up to Buffy. "Oh, and this must be Dawn." Gale says and shakes hands with Dawn. "Jordan talks about you the most."

"Sir—I mean, father, why are you here?" Jordan asks, masking her nervousness.

Gale turns to her angrily. "How dare you disobey me." He whispers to Jordan. Then, he turns to Buffy with a smile. "Sorry to leave so soon, but my daughter and I have some business to attend to." He walks Jordan out by her arm. Jordan looks back at Buffy and Dawn with stoic eyes before leaving.

Buffy and Dawn quickly follow them. When they get outside they see that Jordan and Gale have vanished—judging by the fact that there weren't many cars around, it was supernatural. "Do you think she'll be okay?" Dawn asks.

"Yeah…" Buffy says. "We need to get to go see Giles." She continues and they hurry to a car.

When they get to the magic shop, they sit together at the table in the middle of the store. "I spoke with my friend who gave me the artifacts." Giles says as he brings a book with him to the table. "He said only a power-hungry warlock would be interested in it." He says in frustration. "The collar was made to control someone against their will." He sighs. "Whoever that girl was last night was most likely forced to attack you. I am certain of it."

"Wait, what's going on?" Dawn asks.

"The person who broke into the shop was here last night. As suspected, she was trying to kill one of us." Buffy explains. "I fought her last night, but…when she had the chance to…finish the job, she couldn't. Then…" She pauses as the familiar wind chime attached to the door sounds. Someone had walked into the shop.

"Welcome." Giles says and stands up. He walks over to the door and turns back to the others. "Dawn, you have a guest." Giles says and walks back to the table. Dawn stands up and walks to the door.

"Jordan. What are you doing here?" Dawn asks. Jordan looks pale white and barely able to stand. "Are you okay?" She asks and Jordan collapses. Buffy hurries behind her.

"Jordan!" Buffy says and checks Jordan's pulse. Her heart was still beating, but very slowly. "We need to take her to the hospital." Buffy says and Dawn kneels down to Jordan.

Jordan grabs Dawn's arm. "No…doctor…" Jordan says as she can barely speak.

"Why? We don't know what's wrong." Dawn says.

"I just need…to rest…" Jordan says. Buffy grabs Jordan and walks her into the shop as Dawn flips the "open" sign to "closed".

"What happened to you?" Buffy asks as she sets Jordan down on the ground in front of the cash register.

"Did Gale do this?" Dawn asks. "I didn't like that man." She adds, but Jordan doesn't respond.

"Can I take a look at her?" Willow asks and kneels down to Jordan. "I think I know what might have happened." She says and looks Jordan in the eyes. "I read about this spell in one of my books." She explains. "I wanted to know how to immobilize things. It's very handy in combat." She continues and whispers a spell. Then, after a moment, Jordan's skin color returns to normal and she could sit up on her own.

"Thanks, Willow." Buffy says and Willow stands up and walks back to the table. "Who put this spell on you?"

"I'm sorry…" Jordan says and looks at Dawn. "I…can't…" She stutters and looks down at the ground.

"Was it Gale?" Buffy asks. Jordan stands up and starts walking to the door. "I'm sorry. Is there anything you can tell us? We're worried about you." Jordan pauses. Dawn walks up to her.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Dawn asks. "You can tell me anything."

"It would be safer…" Jordan says and clenches her fist. "If you stayed away from me." She says and walks to the door. "I'm sorry, Dawn." She whispers before running out the door.

The next day, Jordan didn't go to school or to Dawn and Buffy's house. However, Jordan decided that it was time to make a second try at killing someone. She wanted to be rid with this punishment.

Again, dressed all in black with a mask covering her head and mouth, Night lurks around the magic shop in the darkness. She notices that the light inside the building is turned off. Her eyes start to glow as she begins to see, in complete and total darkness, as if it were daylight. She sees that the magic shop had no one inside. Night looks all around her to make sure that she is alone. Then, there was a breeze of cold air that brushed against her face. "Night. Go inside." Gale says as Night turns to him. "Do not disobey me a third time."

Night quickly turns towards the magic shop. "Yes, sir." She says and quickly crosses the street. She looks over to where Gale was to see that he was gone. She quickly picks the lock and silently walks inside. She feels the presence of someone sitting at the table, however, she didn't recognize them.

"I thought you'd return again." A familiar voice says. Then, Night quickly looks around as she takes out a long knife. "I just want to talk."

Night cautiously walks into the room. Then, she feels herself being kicked. Although she evaded their attacks, she was caught off guard and held down to the ground by someone sitting on her back. "I got her!" Buffy says, she's sitting on Night's back. Then, the lights come on.

Then, in a panic, Night tries to rock to get Buffy off her back. "We don't want to hurt you." Willow says as she walks into the room.

"Night, can you tell us why you're doing this?" Buffy asks. "We want to help you."

"No." Night says and her eyes start to glow again. She gathers enough strength to kick Buffy off her back. Then, she stands up. Willow whispers a spell and Night's arms become immobilized, making her drop the knife.

"Why are you wanting to kill one of us?" Buffy asks. In truth, Night never wanted to kill anyone. That's why this is her punishment.

Night shakes her head. "I don't…" Night says and a shock hits her sharply. "I don't want…" Night says as the shocks continue. Then, she drops to her knees. "…to hurt you…" Night says and drops to her knees. As the shocks continue for another moment, she passes out.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I apologize ahead of time for the extremely short chapter. The next will be out of this series of flash-backs and into the present. As a reminder-Jordan is being told about these "memories" by Willow. The next chapter will be much longer.

Enjoy! ^_^

-Eddy

Chapter 8

The next day, Night wakes up in Buffy and Dawn's house. Immediately, she notices that she is no longer wearing her mask, yet she's still wearing her black clothes.

As she assesses her current state, she's startled by a voice. "You're awake." Buffy says as she walks into the room. Night sits up at studies Buffy. "Oh…I took your mask off. You seemed like you were kind of uncomfortable with it on." She continues and sits across from Night. "If you were wondering…I already knew who you were when you came to the magic shop as Jordan…"

Night's mouth gapes as she tries to think of what to say. She knew she was a danger to Buffy and everyone associated with her. "I shouldn't be here." Night finally says and looks down at her hands.

Buffy gets up and walks to the couch to sit next to Night. "You came for our help, right?" Buffy asks and Night shakes her head.

"I was ordered…" Night says and the collar starts to shock her again. "…to kill you…"

"We know. That's why you're wearing that collar." Buffy says. "Just tell me the first name of the one who put this on you."

"I can't." Night says. "If I do…" She says and the collar sharply shocks her. "He…"

"Exactly. He'll come after all of us." Buffy says. "The only way to break this thing is by getting the necklace." She insists, "Now, who is the one wearing the necklace?"

"If I tell you…I might…" Night stutters and the collar gives her another shock. "I'll have no choice but to go after all of you."

"Tell me." Buffy says and Night sighs.

"Gale." Night says and the collar gives her another sharp shock.

"So, I was right." Dawn says as she walks into the room.

"Dawn." Night says as stands up. Then, she walks up to Dawn and pulls her into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Dawn says and starts to feel Night's weight becoming heavier on her shoulder. "Night?"

Buffy walks up to her and grabs Night. "She passed out." Buffy says as she lays Night down on the couch. Then, she notices tribal-like tattoos forming on Night's neck.

"What's going on?" Dawn asks as she sees the collar becoming physically visible.

"Stay behind me, Dawn." Buffy says and Night wakes up. "Are you okay, Night?" Buffy asks and Night sits up as her eyes flicker.

"I have to go." Night says.

"What? No, you have to stay here!" Buffy says and Night shakes her head. "We can protect you!"

"No, if I stay, you'll be in danger." Night says with a slight growl and slowly stands up.

Night walks towards the door. Before she grabs the doorknob, Buffy grabs one of her hands. "What danger?" Buffy asks and Night clenches her other fist.

"Me." Night says. "I almost…" She starts to say and jerks her hand from Buffy. "You shouldn't trust me anymore!" She growls and turns her head towards Buffy, revealing her glowing blue eyes. "I might actually do it next time…" She says and hurries out the door.

Without much hesitation, Buffy and Dawn hurry to the magic shop.

Giles is startled by the sudden sight of the two sisters sprinting to his desk. "Giles, I know who has the necklace." Buffy says as Dawn catches her breath. "It's Gale."

"Did Night tell you this?" Giles asks as he starts to look a bit agitated—and nervous.

"Yes." Buffy answers. "After she told me, I saw her collar along with a big tattoo on her neck." Buffy says and Giles sits down in a chair. "What's wrong?"

"Buffy…we're in serious danger now." Giles says. "Once the one wearing that collar says the name of the one who wears the paired necklace, they…"

"Lose complete control over their actions…I know…" Buffy says. "She warned me."

"She told you this?" Giles asks.

"She did. She also said last night that she doesn't want to hurt any of us, right?" Buffy says. "We have to do something."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I hope I don't totally confuse people by the change of tense. Timewise and from going from third-person to first-person.

 _Just in case you missed it, chapter 8 was released the same day as this one, so if you haven't read it, please do._

Enjoy!

-Eddy

Chapter 9

The next day, after Willow told me everything up to this point, Willow left to go to Buffy's house. She decided it was best to leave me alone in remembering my past with the group.

That afternoon, it had been a few hours since Willow left. Since I've been alone in this room for some time now, I get curious. So, I start looking through a stack of books on the side of the small dresser at the far end of the room with a big rounded mirror on the side of it. As I pick up one of the books, flashes of memory fill my mind.

It was of me in a dark room standing in front of some kind of display case. Even though the room must have been pitch black, I could see clearly that there was one book, one collar, and one necklace. They're probably the items that Willow was telling me about, how I stole them to be used on myself. As I set the book down, the memory continues. There was a light breeze, then a man was standing next to me as I felt scared, and I suddenly hit the glass of the display case.

After hitting the glass, I'm jolted back into the present. I look all around me, seeing that Willow hasn't returned yet, and I look into the mirror. My eyes are glowing again.

Then, at the sight of my eyes, another memory suddenly flashes into my mind. This time, it was of me looking at my reflection. My eyes were glowing, I can see that I was wearing a collar, I had marks going up my neck, and an ominous smile that showed that I had fangs. After this memory stops, I pause as I just stare at myself. What am I?

Just as suddenly as the memories coming to mind, there was a knock at the door. "Night? Are you in there?" I hear Buffy say through the door, then she continues to knock. I don't want to face her yet. "Night? I'm coming in!" The door swings open. "Night…" She sighs and walks up to me. "Don't worry me like that." She continues with a relieved sigh and stops as she stands next to me. "Willow told me she talked with you about…when we met." She says as I feel her nervousness.

"Why-?" I start to say and back up. She turns towards me, as I back up, and starts to walk towards me. "I'm a…monster." I say and start to run out of the building, feeling Buffy close behind.

"Night, wait!" Buffy shouts as she chases after me. After a while of running, I realize that I had ran at a higher speed than normal. I instantly stop to look all around me, and see that I was standing in the middle of a wide-open grass field.

"I never imagined that you would catch on this quickly." A woman's voice says and walks to me from behind a large tree. It was as if she was walking out of it.

"Who are you?" I ask and she walks up to me.

"I'm your owner. You're wearing the collar I made for you. Isn't it nice?" She says as she raises a hand and rests it on my neck. "For a pet."

"Why did you put this on me?" I ask and she smiles sinisterly.

"You see, Gale and I had a little discussion about you a few months ago. We decided that you were of more use to us than to the vampire slayer." She says and wipes my face, gently, with the hand that was previously on my neck. "You're a very rare…breed…You'll prove to be useful in no time."

"Breed?" I ask and she laughs as she retracts her hand from my face.

"You, my pet, are the offspring of a demon and a warlock." She smiles amusedly at herself. "Something rare to our realm."

"You know Gale?" I ask as I feel my stomach churn from the new knowledge about myself.

"Know him? I'm his wife!" She chuckles. "And widow."

"Were you the one who took my memories?"

"I took more than just your memories, pet." She says. "All you need to know is that you'll be fighting with my other pets soon. Then, we'll do what we promised."

"No, I don't want…" I say and she rolls her eyes.

"Fine. I'll let you know when it's time to get ready." She says and I hear footsteps coming from behind me. Has Buffy caught up to me? "I'll talk to you soon, pet." She says as I look behind me. When I look back, after seeing no one behind me yet, she was gone.

"Night." I hear Buffy's voice. "Listen…yes, you're not completely human…but, that doesn't make you a monster." She says and walks up to me. "You saved our lives before. That isn't something a monster would do." As I feel her hand on my shoulder, I jump as I turn around.

"It would be better if you all stayed away from me."

"That's what you said last time…" Buffy says and sighs dejectedly. "It isn't just about you anymore. All of us are being targeted." She continues and I put a hand on my neck, feeling where the collar is. Then, after dropping my hand, I turn around to face her.

"Gale…is he…?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"No, it's a woman. She was at the magic shop earlier." She says as I start to notice scratch marks on her face and right arm.

"Is everyone all right?" I ask and start to feel a bit protective of her as I notice a burn in my eyes.

"Yeah. We're all fine." She says and puts a hand on my shoulder. "We can handle ourselves." She says and takes her hand off my shoulder as my eyes stop burning. "Come on. Everyone wants to see you." She says with a smile. I don't know why, but I feel a sense of comfort.

When we get there, Dawn was avoiding me. We all sat around a round table in the center of the shop, with me sitting in between Buffy and Giles. "She is quite powerful." Giles says, he's probably talking about the woman. Then, he looks at me. "She seemed to have a liking to you."

"No…that's not it…" I say as I remember the woman from earlier. I'm like an animal to her.

"Have you met her?" Anya asks, suspiciously, as she looks at me. "You were all she talked about. That and…" She says and Xander stops her by putting a hand on her arm—quietly shushing her.

"Yes…I have…" I say and they all focus on me.

"When?" Buffy asks and I look down at my hands.

"Today…" I say as I feel a few small shocks come from the collar. "She told me she…made this collar." I say as the shocks continue.

"That's impossible." Giles says. "The material needed to make that particular collar have been unobtainable for many years."

"Why did she put it on you? Do you know?" Buffy asks and I shake my head.

"She said…I…" I gasp as I feel the shocks getting stronger. I put a hand to my neck as I feel my eyes burn. They must be glowing.

"Stop. If that collar is hurting you, don't speak about it." Buffy says and I nod.

"I'm sorry…" I say and drop my hand down as I feel my eyes stop burning.

"It seems as if the shocks are stronger on this collar compared to the other one. I wonder what it is that she doesn't want either of us to know." Giles says and I look up at him.

"Do you think that's why…I lost my memories…?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"It's possible, yes…but, I'm not sure…" Giles says and Dawn stands up.

"Dawn. Aren't you staying? I'm sure Night wants you to be here." Buffy says and I turn to look at Dawn.

"What's the point? She doesn't remember me anyway." Dawn says and runs out.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouts and stands up. "It's not safe for any of us to be alone right now. I'll get her." Buffy says and I stand up.

"I'll go with you." I say and she nods.

"Fine, but if anything happens…" Buffy says and smiles as she briefly looks me over. "We can handle it." She says and I nod. Then, we rush out of the shop together. Alhough I don't have memories of being Dawn's friend, since Willow told me that I was, I feel sort of an obligation to set things right.

After a while of looking for Dawn, Buffy and I spot her in the park by the shop. She was hiding inside one of the slides. "Dawn." Buffy says as we get closer. We both notice Dawn crying.

"How long do you think it will be…for her to remember me?" Dawn asks, she probably doesn't notice me. She has her head covered by her knees.

"That depends on her." Buffy says and looks at me. "It will take time, but I'm sure she will remember."

"You don't know that." Dawn says and looks up. I walk up to her and kneel down next to her.

"Since Willow told me how I met all of you…I…" I say as images of Dawn and I together at school fill my mind. "I remember more…" I say as the visions continue. Dawn and I had skipped class one time. It was the day before I met Buffy. We skipped class to leave school on the only day that the school was open to make a safe getaway. Dawn took me to her house. "I remember when…we skipped class…" I say as I feel the collar shock me. "I remember…that was the night I slept over at your house for the first time." I say as they both look at me. My eyes are starting to burn. Then, I feel myself become pale as the shocks become overwhelmingly painful.

"Night. Stop." Buffy says as Dawn starts to look scared and I notice my hearing start to dim.

"It was the first time…" I say and look at Dawn. "…I felt happiness..." I say and smile. "That's why…I won't…forget…" I say as everything starts to dim. Then, everything goes completely black.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When I woke up, I was at Buffy's house. I'm on a couch in the living room. As I sit up, I look all around me. There's no one here that I can see just by looking. Then, I stand up to walk around.

When I start walking into a room, I hear people talking in the room close to this one. "It nearly killed her. How do we get it off?" I hear Buffy ask. She's talking about the collar—sounding desperate.

"I think the best way to approach this is by…trying not to rush her into remembering anything." Giles explains. "Perhaps that's why…" He says and sighs. I understand why he thinks this way. I've felt that as I am remembering, the shocks continue to become worse. "It's just speculation."

"She seemed fine when I told her about the first time she met us." Willow says as I feel the worry in the room.

"It would be like her to not tell you if it bothered her." Dawn says, she must know me very well. "She's never told me anything if something was bothering her." Dawn says as I walk into more of the room I'm in.

"I'll go check on her." Buffy says and starts to walk in my direction. "Night?" Buffy asks as she starts walking towards me. "Why are you up? You should be resting." She whispers as she continues to walk to me.

"I'm fine." I say and she gives me a hug.

"We thought we lost you back there." Buffy says and pulls away from me. She walks me back to the couch, where I woke up. "You've been out a while…everyone's been worried." She says and sits down with me.

"How long…?" I ask as I notice that I've shown little to no expression yet.

"Four days." Buffy says and I feel someone walking in the next room. She turns to look at them and gives them a small smile. "Dawn, come sit with us." She says and Dawn walks in, then sits in a chair across from us.

"Are you okay?" Dawn asks me and I nod.

"Yes. I'm sorry for worrying you." I say and look at her. "I'm fine, really."

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Buffy asks and I look at her.

"You do have a habit of keeping your feelings bottled up." Dawn says and I look down at my hands. "If there's something bothering you, you can tell us." Dawn says as I remember the woman who said she put the collar on me.

Buffy puts a hand on my shoulder as I remember the conversation between the woman and me. "We just want to help."

"I'm sorry…I…I should tell you." I say and hear the sound of a whistle as if it were coming from outside the house. "The woman from earlier…she's Gale's wife." I say and feel their stares.

"Is that all? Is that what's been bothering you?" Buffy asks.

"What was it that I did…to you? Gale made me attack you." I ask as I hear another whistle.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asks and I look up at her.

"I attacked all of you…and I almost…" I say as the room seems to be melting.

"Night. You didn't do it on purpose. Gale made you do it, remember?" Dawn says as I start to feel my eyes burn and my mind go blank.

"Return to me." A woman's voice says. "It's time."

"What's going on?" Buffy asks as she puts hands on my arms.

"Can you hear it too?" I ask as I feel my consciousness return and they start looking worried. Am I the only one that can hear these things?

"Night. There's nothing here besides us." Buffy says and I feel someone walk into the room.

"Are you hearing that?" Anya asks as she steps towards me. "That whistle." She says and I nod. "I thought so."

"Anya? What's going on?" Buffy asks.

"If she doesn't go to it, she'll die." Anya says and I try to get out of Buffy's hold, but I can't.

"Go to what?" Buffy asks.

"Her owner." Anya says. "Her owner is using a spell to send her a message. If she doesn't do as her owner says, she could die."

"But she said…" I say and stop as I realize that I haven't told them much more than that I've met her, my "owner" that is. Buffy, Dawn, and Anya look at me in suspicion as Buffy lets go of me.

"She said what?" Buffy asks and I stand up as the room returns to normal. Maybe it's because I'm feeling scared and want to leave. "She told you something?"

"She…said she would wait…" I say as I feel as if I should leave, instead of wanting to.

"Wait for what?" Buffy asks and walks towards me. Unconsciously, I back away. "Night, you need to tell me."

"She…wants to take me from you." I say and Buffy reaches for one of my arms, but I dodge it.

"You're not seriously going back there?" Buffy says as I feel a mixture of frustration and sadness energy in the room. "You ran away from there. You told me you didn't want to go back."

"The mark on your arm is proof of..." Anya says. "I don't know what was going through your head…something like this…you would have to agree to it." Anya explains and walks up to me. I feel her anger. "Do you really hate being here that much?"

"I don't remember…" I say and she pushes me with force.

"Anya!" I hear Xander say as I nearly fall back, but instinctively, I catch myself. "I'm sorry Night, she's just been on edge since you came back."

"No, I'm sorry…" I say and turn around, facing the door. "I don't know why, but I feel like I have to go."

"You don't have to go!" Dawn says and reaches for my back. I dodge her before slapping her hand away as a reflex and Buffy catches her before she falls.

"I know that I never wanted it to be this way…I'm sorry…" I say and open the door. "Goodbye." I say and run out as fast as I could.

Without realizing it, I managed to reach a far off field of grass. "So, you made it." A woman says as I realize that it's Gale's wife. "It looks like you're holding up on your end of our deal."

"What deal did I make with you?" I ask and she laughs, then sighs.

"Oh, that's right. Since I wiped your memories, I'll tell you." She says and looks me directly into my eyes. Then, as if put into a trance, memories of the time spent away from the group I had obviously grown attached to flood my mind.

….

Gale's wife begins telling me how I came to lose my memories. She says she's been watching me ever since Gale started being my master. She said it was her duty to keep tabs on my whereabouts.

After Gale and I fought with Buffy and the others, I stayed with Buffy and Dawn for about five months. According to Gale's wife, we were very close, almost like I was a part of their family.

For the Five months that I was with Buffy and Dawn, it seemed like I was becoming more human, even though I'm only slightly human. I no longer had to keep running and was finally happy.

What about that was wrong?

The day I left, everything seemed normal on the surface. I was at Giles's magic shop at the time, sitting next to Buffy and Dawn. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You look a little pale." Buffy asks as she puts a hand to my forehead. "You are a little warm…"

"I'm fine." I say, stoically.

"Is there something on your mind?" Dawn asks.

"No." I say, still expressionless.

"What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?" Willow asks as she walks over to us to sit with us.

"No. I'm fine." I say, strongly, as I notice my heart rate rising.

Am I getting angry? Am I upset? I honestly can't tell just from watching.

"I'm sorry if I bothered you." Willow says as she sits next to Buffy.

"Why are you acting this way?" Dawn asks and I stand up.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back later." I say as I walk out from the table and hurry out the door.

"Night!" I hear Buffy and Dawn call just as I pass the doorway. I wish I remembered what was on my mind at the time, not even Gale's wife can tell me that.

With overflowing emotions, I managed to run to a park. "Did you get my message?" I hear Gale's wife's voice.

"Who are you and why do you want me so badly that you would threaten an innocent's life?" I ask in a slight growl.

"So, they're the innocent ones? Right…" She says and starts circling me. "Do you know how many other hounds your 'friends' killed? This is your bloodline we're talking about."

"She does so with a need to protect her own. I understand why she would do that." I explain. "Just like I was when Gale was my master, she would protect her family with her life if it came to that."

"You would protect a human so…" She trails off before her face contorts with anger. "How careless of you, Night! Acting like this to your own family!" She says as I feel her frustration. "Night, you were bred to protect us not them."

"I know." I say and feel others walking towards us. They're all not human. "But, they are my family now." I say and she sighs, then turns her back to me. As she starts to walk away, I feel myself becoming heavier.

The next thing I see is a scene where I'm locked up in a prison-like cell with my hands tied behind my back. "Are you awake already?" A female voice asks with a chuckle. "It seems like you lost control back there. Don't worry, I cleaned up your mess."

"What happened?" I ask and she puts her face against the bars.

"I wish you were conscious back there. It was quite the show, you know." She says and I strain to get my hands unbound, but get a shock on my neck. "I wouldn't try to escape. Tell me, who would you escape to?"

"The…slayer…" I say as the shocks continue.

"The slayer?" She asks and laughs. "Maybe if she was still alive."

"What?" I ask as I feel an intense sadness come over me.

"You don't remember? Oh, it was thrilling, watching you dismember her so violently." She says and smiles in her amusement. "You made me proud to be your master."

"Master? How? I don't remember anything!" I say, desperate and overcome by emotions.

"You feel it, don't you? The collar I made just for you."

"But…Gale told me I was free to make my own decisions…I don't have a master anymore."

"Night." I hear an old man's voice and quickly look at him. It's Gale. "I'm sorry, Night." He says as I notice that he's tied up, as well as looking like an old man—older than he was before.

"Gale?" I ask and look at Gale's wife.

"I will be the dictator this realm needs!" She says and opens my cell door. As she walks in, she walks with an attitude. Then, she puts a hand on one of my shoulders. "You are going to help make that happen."

"I don't want to." I say as the shocks become more intense.

"Too bad. Whether you like it or not, you're under my control now." She says and reaches to a hot iron. "If you don't agree to do this, the slayer and her family will perish by my hand."

"They're still alive?" I ask, hopeful.

"However, if you agree to this, you will be branded as her enemy and forced to kill them yourself—on my order. That is, if you disobey me." She says and smiles sinisterly. "If you want, I can lessen the pain by erasing all of your memories."

"Night, don't do it!" Gale says and starts to cough. "It's a…" He says as his voice ends with his unconsciousness.

"If I agree to what you're saying, what will happen to the slayer and her family?"

"They'll continue to hunt down our kind. We, on the other hand will not support such acts." She says and smirks. "We'll take our revenge." She says and sighs. "They're probably better off without you. You're dangerous, Night." She says and I feel myself agree with her.

"I'll do it…just…take my memories. It will be painful to keep them." I feel myself say, yet I don't agree with the words. Then, I feel a burn on my arm. Darkness, once again, takes me.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next thing I knew, I was back in the field. "Night!" I hear people shouting my name. "Where are you?" I hear Buffy call. Then, I feel as though I'm being surrounded by demons of all kinds. "Night!" I hear Willow call and I turn around. There were about twenty demons standing behind me. As I notice this, I see Buffy and the others staring at me. "Night!" Dawn calls as she runs up to me, ignoring the other Demons. As I flinch, as if I were about to be hit, she hugs me. "Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Dawn, listen to me. You have to leave. It's not safe here." I say as my heart pounds in nervousness, then I notice the other demons getting closer to us.

"What? There's no one else here…" Dawn says and I notice one of the vampires lunge at her. Instinctively, I move to shield her from the blow. The vampire cuts my back as I feel my eyes burning.

"Night, Dawn, Get out of there!" Buffy yells as I grab Dawn's waist to run to Buffy. "What's going on?" Buffy asks and I bite my lip in frustration as I feel a gash on my back slowly healing.

"You need to get out of here! It's not safe!" I say and look behind me to see the vampires and ghouls start to walk towards us. I must be the only one who can see them.

"There's about thirty of them over there." Anya says and looks at Buffy.

"We need to leave. Now!" Buffy says and we start running back to Giles's magic shop.

When we get there, they sit me down and stand all around me. "What's going on? Why are there so many…?" Buffy asks and I look up at them.

"The truth is…I remember everything…" I start to say. "I…the day I left…" I continue as I feel nervousness overcome me. "Gale's wife took me back to the demon realm." I say and put a hand to my neck. The shocks aren't happening as they should. "Gale…he died at her hand."

"What? Gale is dead?" Buffy asks.

"I don't like where this is going." Anya says.

"She told me that she wanted to become a dictator, then gave me an ultimatum that I couldn't refuse." I say and Buffy kneels down to me. "She said if I wouldn't do as she says, she would…" I trail off, too afraid to say the words and I feel tears falling down my face. "So…I agreed and she erased all of my memories."

"It's okay. We can get through this." Buffy says. "Together."

"Who were those other demons? There were more than just vampires." Anya says and I look up at her.

"They are…from my realm…Gale's wife brought them." I say as I feel the tears stop. "She wants me to fight with them…against you."

"That's what you chose to do? What was the other choice?" Anya asks.

"It was either that or…" I say and stop. I don't feel the pressure of the collar around my neck anymore. As I realize this, I lift up the sleeve that covers the brand mark. The mark is gone.

"What?" Buffy asks.

"The mark…it's gone." Willow says.

"This isn't good…" Anya repeats with a slight whine.

"You're right, I thought something was off…" Buffy says.

"The branded mark…when it's gone…" I start to say and feel myself start to grow fangs and claws. Buffy quickly moves away from me. "It's just like that time…" I say and pause. "…the contract has changed."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asks as we all feel the demons getting closer to the shop. "Giles, Xander, we'll stay here with Night. You two go…"

"You should take Anya with you." I say to them. "She's the only one of you that can see them."

"You'll be alright here with…" Xander says to Buffy.

"Yeah." Buffy says and nods. Then the three leave.

"What are you doing? Kill them!" I hear Gale's wife's voice. Then, I stand up.

"Night!" Dawn says and Willow quickly takes her into the basement.

"Night, we'll get through this. Just…" She says and I feel myself run at her. She dodges me. "Stay with me." She says as I try to keep myself from moving.

"Buffy." I say as I feel myself becoming emotionless as I circle the slayer.

"Let's talk through this, Night." Buffy says as she cautiously observes me. "Just like last time."

"Kill her!" I hear Gale's Wife's voice. She sounds desperate. Then, I feel myself attack Buffy. This time, I made contact. I stabbed her arm as she tried to block me from stabbing her vitals. Immediately, I pull myself back.

"I'm sorry." I say and feel Gale's Wife's grip weakening. Then, I remember the fight we had before, when Gale was my master. How Buffy talked me out of the spell as I mercilessly attacked her and her friends in a similar manner.

"Don't worry, this is nothing." Buffy says and I notice that it's bleeding, but not nearly as much as I originally thought. Then I lift the knife again. Again, I run at her with the knife pointed at her vitals. Yet, again, she managed to dodge me. Instead of my hitting her, she hit me back with a wooden steak. While not aiming for my vitals, the steak did pierce my skin on my shoulder just as I tried to dodge her.

"We can't lose!" Gale's Wife says.

"Who said I was planning on winning?" I say to myself.

"That's right!" Buffy smiles as we continues to exchange blows.

"How dare you talk back to me!" The voice says, louder than usual. I stop, with my feet practically glued to where I'm standing. Then, I notice Buffy slowly walking to me as the knife I'm holding raises up to my neck.

"Night, don't. Put that knife down." Buffy says as I start to feel a hand guiding the knife to press against my throat. It's Gale's wife.

"Miss me, pet?" Gale's wife asks and I notice Buffy pause.

"Get your hands off her!" Buffy says as she holds the steak ready to fight and Gale's wife starts laughing. "Now!"

"Ooh, how feisty!" Gale's wife says and I feel another hand on my other hand. "Make one move, and I'll break this hand."

"What do you want?" Buffy asks and Gale's wife laughs.

"I want several things, darling." Gale's wife says. "However, what I want now has everything to do with this pet of mine." She continues as I feel the knife's flat side slide on my neck. "She's more special than you know." She says and I hear whispering in my ear. "Want to know why I named you Night?" She asks and I feel the sense of terror.

"Stop it!" Buffy says and I see her being pinned by dark energy.

"Let go of her!" I say and feel the knife on my face.

"This is the reason you were born." Gale's wife says and I instantly feel the sense of rage. "Good. That's good!" She says and I break from her grip. "You'll answer only to me, pet!" She says as I face her-with anger.

"Night!" Buffy says and I see my reflection in a mirror behind Giles's desk. I look more like a monster now than I ever have. Once I see this, I feel fear, but also anger. I hear myself growl, as I see my fangs, glowing eyes, and claws in the mirror.

"Kill her!" Gale's wife commands and I turn around to face Buffy.

"I'm…sorry…" I say and Buffy sighs. Then, I start to think of a way to not lose control over myself.

"We'll get through this together, Night." She says and I smile.

As I think of the way I might be able to get through this without harming anyone, I look—with my eyes—all around the room. The doors are all shut with dark magic. "What are you doing? Kill her!" Gale's wife commands and I put a hand over one of my eyes—as it starts to burn. There's only one way out. I have to turn on her.

"Night. It's alright…" Buffy says as I notice she is starting to be overcome by dark magic. "…kill me…" She says as I notice that she's slowly losing consciousness.

"I will not!" I say and turn to Gale's wife, who's wearing a shocked expression. "You're no master of mine!" I say and lunge at her. Although she tries to dodge me, I'm too fast—then, I tear her skin at her chest and she falls to her knees. I feel the dark magic vanish around us and bend down to her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Gale's wife asks and looks up at me. "The powers I gave you…yet, you use it to defy your family." She says and I see the knife in her hand raise to my neck.

"You were never my family to begin with." I say as I look down on her. Then, she slides it down—in front of my heart.

"You should know what happens next, right?" She asks with a sinister smile. "This isn't over…!"

"I won't let you lay a finger on my friends." I say and she starts to laugh. I feel Buffy collapse behind me. "Buffy!" I say as I feel the monster part of me settle—yet my eyes are still burning. As I rush to her, I feel hands wrap around my body. Then, I feel the cold sensation of a blade enter my chest.

"Maybe, this time…we can die…together…pet…" I hear Gale's wife say, before she collapses into a pool of blood. This pool of blood takes her deep within the earth—not taking me with her, however.

As I put a hand on the knife in my chest, I see Buffy turn to me. "Night!" She says as I see her struggle to sit up completely. Then, I feel the rest of the gang rush to us.

"We…did it…" I say with a smile as I notice Dawn and Willow come towards us.

"No…" Dawn says as she puts a hand to her mouth. Then, I grab the knife—but Buffy stops me.

"No, let me see it." She says as I notice her trying to keep herself from crying.

"This is how…the contract ends." I say as I remember when I signed the contract with Gale. "When I no longer have a master…"

"She needs a new master…" Anya says as Buffy lays me on my back.

"That is the curse of my blood." I say as Buffy looks closely at the wound. "Truthfully, I believe I've worked for Gale…for several years…" I continue. "I never thought I'd ever be without a master…"

"But, you didn't have a master when you were here after Gale let you go." Xander says and I shake my head.

"That's not the contract I signed…" I say and look at Dawn. "The contract was entitled to anyone of Gale's family…and now, the only way…" I say and start to cough.

"She needs a new family…to contract with." Giles says and sighs. "Fortunately, through your time here, I was able to do extensive research on your realm…I can perform the ritual, but…" He says and I put a hand on Buffy's that's on the knife in my chest. "I…cannot guarantee success."

"Is this the only way…?" Buffy asks and I nod. My vision is fading, but I can still see everyone clearly. "Come on, stay with me…" She says, trying to keep me from falling asleep. "Giles, I'll do it!" She says as I see tears threaten to fall from her eyes.

"Me too." Dawn says and walks over to me. "I mean, we're practically sisters anyway…" She says as I notice her face is red from crying.

"All blood relatives must be present." Giles starts reading from his notes. "The knife, if placed in the heart, must be pulled out by all blood relatives of the master…with the master's hand leading…once finished, there will be symbols on the knife…then all participants must add their blood to the wound…this should seal the wound and the contract." Giles says and looks at Buffy, Dawn, and I. "Are you ready?"

"Ready." Buffy says and I look at Dawn.

"…I'm ready…" She says and I smile.

"I'm ready as well…" I say and they position their hands; Dawn's hand closest to my chest and Buffy's on top.

"After the knife is pulled out, I'll recite the contract as you both give your blood…" He says and then I hear a count-down. Then, I feel the knife exit my chest. The pain of the knife in my chest is more apparent now than it was when it was in. As my vision starts to fade, I see Buffy and Dawn cut their hands, then I feel one of my hands being cut. However, I can't feel the pain of any of this. My body is numb as I hear the chant stop, then I feel the weight my hand, Buffy's hand, and Dawn's hand touch my chest.

As if I were being struck by lightning, I'm jolted into unconsciousness. This is why I'm called Night—I always seem to start with darkness.

Many hours pass until I wake up. I hear mumbling, talking, in a space next to me—not the space I'm in, however. "Did it really work?" I hear Buffy's impatient voice.

"She's not dead, Buffy." I hear Dawn say and I put a hand on my chest. There are no bandages on my chest. However, a sharp pain radiates through my hand, making me open my eyes to look at it. My hand is covered in bandages. It worked. I've signed the contract with Buffy and Dawn.

When I sit up, I notice that I'm at Buffy's house. As I look around the room, it seems brighter and not scary to me at all. Standing up, I realize that I seem much stronger than when I was with Gale and his wife. It must be the strength of the vampire slayer.

"Night!" I hear Dawn's voice and footsteps racing to me. Then, I feel the warmth of her arms around me. "Good morning." She says and pulls away from me. When I look around me again, I notice its dark outside.

"So, you survived…" Buffy says as she walks into the room.

"Of course…" I say and kneel down, bowing to her. "…master."

"Yeah, about that…" She says and I look up at her. "Just call me Buffy. Okay?" She says and I smile as I stand up.

"Okay, Buffy." I say and she hugs me.

"It's finally over…" She says and I feel Dawn gently hugging me from behind. It's so warm here, in this position—being loved.

"Yes, it is." I say as I feel tears wetting my back.

"Maybe now…we can be a family, like before?" Dawn asks and I pull away from them both.

"As long as you are alive, I will protect you." I say and hug Dawn. "I will always protect my family."

"I'm glad you came back to us." Buffy says and I pull away from Dawn, turning towards Buffy.

"It was never my intention to leave." I say, then the power goes out. A loud roar of a werewolf startles us.

"Come on, we've got this." Dawn says as she walks to the front door.

"Can you help too?" Buffy asks me, with a confident smile. Then, I smile back.

"Of course." I say and follow them both out to face the beast.

Though this road will be hard and taxing on all of us, we will never stop fighting. For peace, survival, or for protection, I will fight with and for you. My name is Night, I'm known only as a death hound from a falling realm of hell, and I swear to protect Buffy and Dawn Summers until my contract expires.

Until the next night, farewell.

-Night


End file.
